Watching You - a Song Fic
by VroomyZoomyImpalaWala
Summary: One night, Castiel surprises Dean with a 'divine purpose' - Dean must raise a baby boy as his own!


Watching You

Driving through town just my boy and me / With a happy meal in his booster seat / Knowing that he couldn't have the toy / Till his nuggets were gone / A green traffic light turned straight to red / I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath / His fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap / Well then my four year old said a four letter word / That started with "s" and I was concerned / So I said son now where did you learn to talk like that / He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool / I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you / And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are / We got cowboy boots and camo pants / Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad / I wanna do everything you do / So I've been watching you / We got back home and I went to the barn / I bowed my head and I prayed real hard / Said Lord please help me help my stupid self / Then this side of bedtime later that night / Turning on my son's Scooby Doo night light / He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees / He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands / And spoke to God like he was talking to a friend / And I said son now where'd you learn to pray like that / He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool / I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you / And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are / We like fixing things and holding mama's hand / Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad / I wanna do everything you do / So I've been watching you / With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug / Said my little bear is growing up / He said but when I'm big I'll still know what to do / Cause I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool / I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you / And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are / By then I'll be as strong as superman / We'll be just alike, hey won't we dad / When I can do everything you do / Cause I've been watching you

_Dean flipped aimlessly through the basic cable channels on the TV in the front room. Old sitcoms, a western movie, the news. Nothing worth paying attention to. Dean in turn put his focus on his beer bottle, a seemingly permanent companion to his now calm lifestyle. He and Sam had sealed off Hell. Heaven was in order once again, and angels came and went as they pleased. Dean wasn't sure how good this new life was. He was so damn _bored_ all the time. Sammy had gone off to college a few months ago, and the brothers stayed in close contact. At least one phone call or texting conversation a week. Dean now worked at a locally owned car garage in his hometown. He was loved by the community, and was doing so well that his boss made him assistant manager in no time. Dean sipped at his beer, and his eyes began to drift shut. The blackness of sleep encroached upon his mind when several sudden and powerful knocks came from his front door._

_"The hell is that?" he grumbled, still groggy from his near sleep episode. Dean stumbled off the couch and tripped over his feet in the dim room, cursing under his breath, until he reached the door. He steadied himself before grasping the cool door knob and ripping the door open. Angry words that had formed on his tongue dissolved in the image he saw before him. "Cas?"_

_"Hello, Dean." The angel's expression was his normal one of no expression._

_"What the hell are you doing here, man? I haven't seen or heard from you in weeks, where have you been?" His green eyes searched the angel's blue ones for an answer, yet found none._

_"I come here with divine purpose," Castiel said in monotone._

_"Divine? As in 'God told me to do this'?"_

_"Yes, I suppose so."_

_There was an extended period of silence, followed by an expression from Dean that said 'Get to the point, Cas!' "So what are you doing here?"_

_Instead of responding verbally, Castiel opened his trench coat to reveal a bundle of blue blankets._

_Dean raised his hands in front of him and retreated away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Cas, what is that?"_

_The angel eyed him curiously, cocking his head slightly to the right. "I do not understand your confusion. Have you not ever seen a baby?"_

_"Yeah, I have! I don't like them and they don't like me! Now take it away!"_

_"Dean, this child is my divine purpose," Castiel explained, cradling the sleeping infant in his arm. "I was given a message that said this child must be raised as a Winchester. He must follow your example in life. He is to be your son."_

_Dean's words stumbled and caught on his tongue. "Me?" he finally choked out. "Cas, you know me! I'm a- I'm a terrible role model! Why not Sam!?"_

_"Sam is otherwise occupied with his studies, if you recollect." He glanced down at the infant, who stirred and cooed and went silent again. "He even bears a bit of your resemblance, Dean."_

_"That's bull, Cas! That kid isn't mine!"_

_"Dean, you must care for him. He has no one else. His mother is dead. So is his father. You have been chosen for this, Dean, and you do not have choice in the matter." Cas moved toward Dean almost as if he was floating. Dean continued to back away, almost afraid, until his back hit the recliner and he stumbled._

_"Cas… Get away from me!"_

_"Preparations have been made for you to care for him. You will be provided with the necessary essentials until he is a year old. After that, you are on your own, I'm afraid." Castiel held the blanket wrapped child out for Dean to take. "I will stop by every couple weeks to check on your progress. You must name him as well. Good luck, Dean."_

_The baby was placed in Dean's arms before he could shout any more protests. As soon as the child was secure, Castiel vanished. "Dammit, Cas! Get back here! I can't do this, Cas! Cas!" The angel did not reappear. Instead, the sound he heard was the squealing of a baby waking up. "Damn it." His eyes turned to the ceiling. "What the hell am I supposed to do?" He glanced down at the child, whose green-blue eyes were filled with evidence of sleepiness. "Hey, there…kid. Guess you, uh…need a name, don't you? Um... How about Robert?" He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah, that's too old man… I like Dane. Ya know, like the dog? Big and strong and… well, great. They're Great Danes." The baby responded with a yawn and a coo. "Dane it is, then… Dane Robert Samuel Winchester. It's a good strong name." Dean stared down at the baby. "I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"_

**4 Years Later**

"You alright back there, Bear?" Dean glanced in the rear view mirror at the blue-green eyes and messy blonde hair, styled just like Dean's.

"Yeah, Daddy!" came a cheerful, french fry filled response.

Dean placed his arm along the top of the front seat of his '67 Impala. "Alright, remember to eat your nuggets. Then you can have your toy." A faint buzzing came from his pocket. Reaching inside the denim, Dean pulled out his cell phone and hit the little green key. "Hey, Sammy."

_'Hey, Dean. How's Sammy Junior?'_

"For the last time, Sam. I didn't name him after you."

_'Then how do you explain his middle name?'_

"It's Robert, too, stupid." Dean rolled his eyes, hoping his brother could hear the annoyance. "I named him after Bobby, too."

_'Right,'_ Sam said, not bothering to hide his sarcasm.

"Bitch."

_'Jerk.'_

"What do you want, Sam?" Dean huffed.

_'What, can't I call to check on my nephew?'_

Four years ago, Dean would have shuddered out of his skin and clocked Sam right in his pretty boy jaw. But after spending time with the kid, raising him right - his qualms had dissipated. "He's fine, Sam. Growing like a friggin' weed. Kid loves his burgers, though, let me tell ya."

_'Like father, like son, eh?'_

Dean chuckled. His lips parted to say something more to his brother, but his words were cut short when the traffic light turned straight to red from green. He slammed on the brakes, hands gripping the steering wheel so tight it threatened to snap under the pressure of his fingers.

_'Dean!? What the hell happened? Are you alright!?'_

"Yeah, Sammy, I'm fine, I-"

"Shit!"

There was silence. A tense silence. Dean glanced back at the four-year-old, fries scattered across the back seat and Hawaiian Punch drenched his lap.

_'Dean, did I just hear-'_

"I'm gonna call you back, Sam." Pulling the phone from his ear, he raised his eyebrow. "Dane, what did you just say?"

"I said shit, Daddy."

"I know what you said!" Dean pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and first finger. "Where did you hear that?"

"From you."

Dean's heart pounded in his chest. "Why would you say that, Dane?"

"Well, I hear you say it lots, Daddy, and I wanna be just like you."

His breath hitched in his throat and his chest went tight. He had a brief flashback of saying the exact same thing to his father. Dean sighed, and turned to face the road. The light went green and he stepped on the gas. "Just...don't say that anymore, okay, Bear? It's a bad word that only adults can say."

Dane didn't answer, only looked down at his stained lap. The ride home was silent. As they pulled up into the driveway, Dean looked back at his son. His face was positively downtrodden. It made Dean's own face fall. He hadn't realized the extent of what he had said. As the boy's only parent, Dane had no one else to look up to, other than Sam, who was away at college, and Castiel, who was an angel. Dean couldn't blame him for something like wanting to be like his dad. He cut the engine and turned around, small smirk on his lips. "How about we go inside, get you cleaned up, and put on some Bat-Man?"

Dane's face instantly brightened. He nodded quickly and fumbled with the buckles on his car seat. Scrambling out of the Impala, Dane raced up to the porch, nearly tripping over his own feet. Dean unlocked the front door, and Dane bounded in, already pulling his t-shirt off. And of course, he got stuck.

"Daddy! I can't see! Where am I?"

Chuckling to himself, he helped the hyper child out of the shirt. "Take it easy, Bear."

Dane ran to the bathroom, and after a couple seconds Dean heard the water running. He crossed to the room next to his and grabbed a pair of flannel pajamas. He held them tightly and sat on the tiny bed. Sighing, he set the clothes next to him, elbows on his knees and hands clasped together. "Cas, if you can hear me… I don't know what I'm doing here, man. I'm trying my ass off to be a good dad to this kid. I don't want to screw it up and be like my dad. You know what a great role model he was…" He cleared his throat. "I just want to know… Am I doing okay? Are you sure you made the right choice with me?"

Dean felt a small hand on his knee. His green eyes met the wide blue-greens and wider smile. "Who were you talking to?"

"No one, Bear." He placed a hand on Dane's head and ruffled his hair, making the little boy giggle. "Come on, let's get this bath over with. Bat-Man is waiting."

"We could just skip it! Bat-Man doesn't like to be kept waiting," Dane suggested cheerfully.

"Not a chance," he said with a laugh. Dane sat in the tub for a while just playing with his action figures. His favorite he had named Dean-acus, like Spartacus but with his dad's name. Dean-acus traveled the country killing monsters and saving pretty girls. It made Dean smile, and almost reminisce on the days where he really did do that. He had expect Sammy to pull out of his life the minute everything was over, but they remained just as close as they had been. Which made his life a whole hell of a lot easier. He never would have made it this far with Dane without Sam's help on… well, basically everything. After drying and dressing Dane, the two walked out to the front room, where a figure stood in the center.

"Daddy Cas!" The boy ran to the angel and wrapped his little arms around Castiel's knees.

"Hello, Dane," Cas said with a small smile. He placed his hand on his head and turned his blue gaze to Dean. "And hello, Dean. I heard your call."

Dean crossed to the television, the old one long since replaced by one much nicer and much bigger. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, you're going to watch Bat-Man with us."

Castiel nodded, crouching down to look Dane in the eye. "Looks like you're stuck with me."

Dane cheered and ran to the couch, bouncing up and down in his seat. He was always excited to see his "other dad".

"I think this calls for popcorn," Dean said, walking to the kitchen with Cas in tow. "So you came to answer me?"

"Yes and no. I did hear your prayer, but I had planned to stop by soon as it is." The smell of butter wafted into the room, a smell the angel enjoyed, even though he didn't need to eat. "So, what is Bat-Man? A horrible laboratory experiment where the DNA of a human and a nocturnal flying mammal were combined?"

Dean rolled his eyes and grabbed a large bowl. "No, Cas." The microwave beeped and Dean poured the popcorn into the bowl. Passing Cas on his way out of the room, he patted his shoulder. "He's your brother."

"I don't understand. I do not have a brother with membranous wings."

Dean groaned and plopped down on the couch next to Dane. Cas sat on the other side of the boy, who had grabbed the bowl from Dean and already dived in. Throughout the movie, Cas was mostly silent, only asking a question or two every half hour. At one point, Dane giggled and told Cas that he sounded like Bat-Man, causing the angel to narrow his eyes at Dean, finally understanding the comment Dean had made earlier. Before the movie was over, Dane had crashed, leaving Dean and Cas to make small talk.

"So Bat-Man is really Bruce Wayne."

"Yep."

"And Bruce Wayne is a billionaire."

"Where are you doing with this, Cas?"

"If he makes public appearances, how do people not recognize him as the Bat-Man? His mouth and eyes are the same."

"Don't question it, Cas. Just appreciate it."

After the movie ended, Dean carried his sleeping son to his room and laid him gently in bed. As he turned to leave, he heard rustling and the patter of small feet on the hardwood. He turned around to see Dane kneeling beside his bed, head bowed.

"Dear Daddy Cas. Please keep my daddy safe. He works really hard and he does all he can to make sure I'm okay. I love my daddy. Good night, Daddy Cas."

A smile on his face and a twinge in his heart, Dean walked back and picked Dane up. He sat on the bed and sat Dane on his lap. "Where'd you learn to pray like that, buddy?"

"From you, Daddy. I watch you all the time. I wanna be just like you when I get big, Daddy. I'm gonna eat all my food so I can be as tall as you are 'cause you're taller than Daddy Cas but Uncle Sam is still taller than you but that's okay. I don't wanna be a giant. I wanna fix cars and stuff and do all the stuff you do, Daddy."

Dean couldn't speak. He hugged his son tight, smiling softly. "You're growing up too fast, Bear," he mumbled, the slightest prick of tears floating to his green eyes. He gave Dane one last squeeze and pulled back the blanket so Dane could crawl in. Dean stroked his son's hair and watched as his little eyes closed. "Good night, little man." He stood slowly, walked out of the room, and left a crack in the door.

"To answer your question earlier…"

Dean nearly jumped out of his skin, seething quietly at the angel for startling him. "Warn a guy next time, Cas!" he hissed.

"Dean," Cas whispered. He gripped the man's upper arm gently. "You are doing more than okay with this child. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. But I have no doubts that i made the right choice with you. You are a better father than yours was because you are here with him, not out somewhere doing who knows what. I do not regret my decision in making you his father."

Dean chuckled. "Well, that's a relief. I'd hate to have you take him back."

"Are you saying you have come to care for him?"

"Of course I have," Dean huffed, walking to the kitchen and grabbing a beer from the fridge.

"So you do not regret raising him."

Dean stared at Castiel. "Not one bit."

Cas nodded. "Then I have made the right choice." He stared at Dean, eyes bright and crystal. Dean stepped toward him, green eyes curious.

"Are you alright, Cas?"

"Fine, why do you-"

Dean cupped Castiel's cheek in his hand. He moved toward him, foreheads and noses touching. Their lips brushed slightly. "Thank you, Cas, for bringing him to me," he whispered. Cas nodded, without a word, and leaned forward again to connect their lips again. A moment passed, and they parted. Castiel smiled, genuinely, before he vanished. Dean smiled long after the angel had departed. He took a long swig of his beer and took refuge in the front room, falling asleep with Bat-Man replaying and the same smile on his face. Little did he realize that Dane had clambered out of bed upon hearing their voices. He saw the whole thing, watching with a sleepy grin on his face. He tiptoed out of his room and onto the couch, curling up next to the sleeping, smiling Dean.


End file.
